l8o AMERICAN VINES. 



European origin had been imported into the country. The 

 vineyards in the Madeira Islands would have been destroyed 

 long before the invasion of oidium; at that time importa- 

 tions of vines from Virginia and the Central States would 

 have taken place. Accidental hybridization might have 

 been produced in the Madeira .vineyards between imported 

 American cepages and indigenous vines, and these hybrids 

 would have subsequently been imported into the United 

 States by the colonists. If this was the case, vines of their 

 nature should be found in the south of Europe. Munson 

 thinks he has discovered Herbemont, or forms .very similar 

 to it, in the seeds of a vine recently imported from the 

 province of Valencia (Spain) into Texas. 



The Jacques (Fig. 87) only exists exceptionally in Texas; 

 its cultivation has never extended on account of the great 

 sensitiveness of its leaves to mildew and black-rot. Various 

 attempts at culture of this vine on a large scale had to be 

 abandoned, and Herbemont has replaced and is still replacing 

 Jacquez in the few districts where it is cutivated. The Her- 

 bemont (Fig. 88) is, in effect, very resistant to mildew and 

 black-rot, which, until recently, was the greatest obstacle in 

 the culture of vines in the .United States. As for the 

 Cunningham, Rulander, and Black July, they are almost 

 unknown in America. The Cunningham, which was culti- 

 vated in a few restricted places, was quickly discarded ; this 

 also applies in France to Rulander which succumbed to 

 the attacks of phylloxera. The Black July has always been 

 kept in collections, for its productivity was thought to be 

 inferior to that of Jacquez, and because these two cepages 

 were until lately considered only as direct-producers. The 

 Cunningham on account of its great vigour has been grafted 

 and extolled as a graft-bearer in marly, rather calcareous 

 soils ; the results obtained are very conflicting. 



Cunningham and Herbemont are less resistant to chlorosis 

 than any others of this group, although their resistance is 

 superior to the American species they originate from ; they 

 are, from this point of view, very inferior to Jacquez and 

 Rulander. We consider they derive these characters from 

 V. Cinerea which predominates over V. Vinifera in Jacquez 

 and Rulander. 



All these cepages, especially Herbemont and Jacquez 

 which interest us most, have great affinity to grafting with 

 European vines, properties which also result from their 



